Having had a garden for most of the last twenty-five years, I have had my share of gardening successes and failures. So if you are thinking spring too, grab a cup of tea and cozy up to the fire while I share some gardening basics with you that I wish I had known when I started.

Choose the Right Location

            Undoubtedly, the first consideration should be choosing the ideal location for your garden. There are several factors to consider, though some are definitely more important than others are. The perfect garden receives plenty of sunlight, with the minimum being six hours per day. Perfect soil is dark with rich nutrients, has good drainage and crumbles in your hand easily. The perfect garden also has easy water access and is just a step away from the house for convenience. Of course, at this point, you realize I am talking about the Garden of Eden because few locations are perfect in every respect. However, there are some useful guidelines when weighing one location against another. For example, if you have a sunny location with clay soil and a shady location with lovely rich soil to choose from, which location do you choose? If you choose the sunny, clay soil location, it will mean you will need to amend the soil liberally. However, if you choose the shady, rich soil location you will have to chop down trees to get enough sunlight. Give first consideration to sunlight, then soil and drainage, then access to water, and finally convenience when choosing your perfect garden location.

Soil Preparation

            Once you have chosen a location, it is time to move on to soil preparation. Every garden, no matter how rich or poor the soil is, needs organic amendments worked into the soil at least annually. Ideally, a nice thick layer of organic material is best applied in the fall (or throughout the growing season) and tilled in before winter, but an early spring tilling will work also. Organic amendments include, but are not limited to, cow or horse manure, wood chips, compost, peat, grass clippings, straw or rich top soil. The poorer the soil, the more organic amendments you will need. A very poor soil could require 4-6” of amendments in the first year, but the need in future years will gradually lessen. Along with soil amendments, deep tilling is essential since roots need to push down though loose soil. If your soil is rocky or clay-filled, you might consider building raised beds (8-12” high) to overcome these difficult problems, but this is not necessary. Most soil problems can be overcome with regular organic amendments and deep tilling.

Seed and Plant Selection

             Now it is time to select seeds and plants for your garden, which is always my favorite part. Beware going overboard with glossy seed catalogs. Although they offer a wide variety of seeds and plants there are certain items that you would often be better off buying locally. For example, I always buy tomatoes, peppers, and most herbs as small plants through local suppliers. Starting tomatoes, peppers and herbs in seed flats is a delicate operation and requires perfect conditions for success, and I have sworn off mail-order tomato plants since they frequently arrive in terrible shape. However, vegetable seeds sown directly in the garden, (such as squash, peas, beans, lettuce, greens, melons and cucumbers) are perfect to order from your favorite seed catalog. For best results, choose a seed supplier that has a similar climate and growing season as your area has. Another common mistake is buying too many varieties. If you know you like to make pickles, pick a common variety, or two at most, and you will likely be pleased with the results. If not, try a different variety the next year. Carefully consider the amount of space needed for each plant you intend to grow or you may end up with more than you can physically plant or maintain. Be aware that if you are going to grow corn, you will need to plant at least four rows for proper pollination. It is a good idea to start with a smaller garden and work up to a bigger one once you have more experience.

Garden Planning

Some folks balk at garden planning, but this can easily be accomplished before planting time and saves time and trouble when it is time to plant. You do not need fancy software. Pencil and graph paper work quite well. With your seed packets handy, plan your row spacing and layout. You will also need to know the last frost date for your area. Contact your county extension agent for this date as well as other useful regional information. Planting times can vary from several weeks before the last frost to several weeks after the last frost. Calculate the planting dates for each plant and notate that on your plan. You might want to designate one area of the garden for cool season crops, such as peas, spinach and lettuce. If this is not your first year, make sure you rotate plants into new areas each year. Just because the tomatoes did well in a particular place one year does not mean they will do well there again the next year. Rotation helps diminish disease problems and allows the soil to replenish itself.

Planting

With your garden plan and planting timeline in hand, you are ready to tackle planting. With planting, timing is everything. Remember that the average last frost date is exactly that – average. Late frosts can decimate young seedlings as can spring deluges. Watch the weather closely to judge whether it is safe to plant. Do not till or plant when the soil is muddy. Although you may have tilled the soil in the fall, it will often require a second tilling in the spring if the soil is compact and hard. One common mistake that new gardeners make is planting the entire garden at once. If you are paying close attention to your planting timeline, you will never make this disastrous mistake. Plants do not thrive, and even die, if planted at the wrong time.

            If you live in an area that has frequent heavy downpours in the spring, here is a trick that keeps young seedlings from drowning. Rake the soil into a slightly raised row, 6-8” wide and 3-4” high before planting. Use a rake handle to make an impression in the loose soil at the proper planting depth. Your rows will be straight and the plant roots will have plenty of deep, loose soil to thrive in. When the heavy rains come, the raised rows will channel the water runoff away from delicate seedlings.

Maintenance

Now we come to the important maintenance that will make or break your efforts. Thankfully, God does provide rainfall from time to time, but most locations will require periodic watering that you are going to need to provide, either by soaker hoses, sprinklers or garden hose sprayers. Ideally, give your garden a good soaking early in the morning before the heat of the day and avoid evening watering since this can lead to plant diseases. You will need to mulch heavily around plants to keep weeding to a minimum. Mulching also protects from cool temperatures in the early spring and helps to retain moisture during the hot summer days. For plants, mulch them as soon as you set them out. For seeds, mulch when the plants are 3-4” tall, taking care not to cover the plants. Also, be sure to provide support for tall or climbing varieties, such as pole beans, cucumber vines and tomatoes. It is important to realize that no amount of mulch is going to give you a weed-free garden. Weeds will abound no matter how well you prepare. The only way to beat them is to weed regularly. Once you finish one area of the garden move on to the next and keep rotating. If you take a break for a week, it will soon look like a weed jungle and your plants will be choked out. Do you have children? Teach them to discern weeds from plants and have them tackle a row a day. All it takes is fifteen minutes several times a week and you can have a beautiful, well-cared-for garden.  

So, are you ready to play in the dirt? With common sense planning, preparation and regular maintenance, you will enjoy inexpensive, delicious produce throughout your growing season and even on into the winter if you freeze or can your harvest. Although every gardener will experience dismal failures from time to time, it is important to always keep dreaming, trying and learning. Remember, you will only be a first time gardener once.